Red Bull Salzburg Tactical Analysis 2024/25: Pep Lijnders’ Defensive Concerns

Pep Lijnders Tactics At RB Salzburg

As we will see in this tactical analysis, defensive issues have plagued Red Bull Salzburg during the 2024/25 season.

The problems are possibly due to new coach Pep Lijnders, who came from Liverpool after working with Jürgen Klopp.

Lijnders is a smart coach, but the change in tactics has not been as smooth as Salzburg had hoped, particularly in defence.

Salzburg, known for their attacking style of football, changed their tactics under Lijnders.

His ideas from Klopps gegenpressing philosophy were expected to help Salzburg dominate possession and press their opponents.

However, as we will see in this analysis and scout report, this has made the team less stable at the back, especially during transitions.

The numbers show that the team has struggled to balance attack and defence, conceding more goals than in previous seasons.

Red Bull Salzburg Data Analysis

Red Bull Salzburgs struggles in defence are mainly because of a new playing style introduced by head coach Pep Lijnders, who joined from Liverpool after spending years as Jürgen Klopps assistant.

The team has struggled to adapt to Lijnders approach, which has led to weaknesses in their play that have affected their performance in both domestic and European matches.

Salzburg have struggled to defend, which has hurt their performance in the Austrian Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.

To fix these problems, the team needs to work on its defence.

Pep Lijnders has changed Salzburgs defensive shape and structure.

Lijnders has made the team more aggressive and focused on possession, similar to what he was used to seeing with Klopp, but it hasnt been easy.

Salzburgs defence is no longer as strong as it used to be.

The centre-backs have been struggling to keep up with the pace of the game.

They conceded multiple goals in their Champions League group stage against Sparta Prague due to poor marking and ineffective communication.

Lijnders focus on high pressing and attacking play has meant less focus on defence.

Salzburg are pressing more effectively in some areas, but the overall intensity has decreased.

The team is pressing less as a unit, and Salzburgs pressing is not coordinated, which makes it easy for opponents to exploit gaps in their defence.

Salzburg are now more vulnerable to teams that can bypass their press and attack quickly.

Salzburgs Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA) has risen from 7.24 to 7.73 — this shows they are somewhat less able to stop the opposition and get the ball back.

Salzburg are prone to high pressing.

The defenders have struggled this season, unlike last season when they played out from the back with more control.

Other teams are marking Salzburg aggressively and pressi